Maybe it is because I work from home, you lose track of time. I know, you’re thinking I’m talking about Christmas. No, I’m talking about Wrestling. I was a wrestling official (referee) for thirty-one years. I retired a few years ago, but I work with the District Committee to help with the evaluations of officials, and I assign the post season events.
I was thinking about the time I started officiating. By my second year I thought I was the best official in the state, that was until Milford Pittman taught me the most valuable lesson I ever had in the sport. Milford was bigger than life, everyone in wrestling knew Milford. He officiated me in high school. I remember he was very intimidating, he first words taking to my team, “I don’t care who wins”.
Milford passed this life in 2008, he was a mentor and a friend. Milford did the NCAA D1 tournament and in 1976 was the first black man to call the Pennsylvania State tournament. I never saw him as a black man, he was a damn good official.
The lesson he taught me, affected me for all my years in the sport. In my second year I was doing the middle school match that I knew would be very lopsided. Milford had the varsity match and the results looked to be the same as the middle school match. While Milford started to get ready for the match, I sat in the office chair with my feet on the desk telling him how easy the match will be and what I’m going to do after. Milford stopped and pointed his finger at me. He was a very big man physically and took no crap from anyone. He had a way putting his hand right over his nose when he pointed so you had no other choice but look at his eyes.
He scolded me, “There will a kid out there that will wrestle his ass off and you better be ready.” For certain he wasn’t asking me. This happened in 1988 and I still vividly recall in that match at 110 pounds the kid from the losing team secured a takedown on the edge of the mat right before the buzzer. It’s a tough call to make and you need to be engaged. The kid from the losing team won 3-2, his team lost 72-3 (for non-wresting folk for a decision your teams gets 3 points)
I sat in the locker room after my shower, I could hear the crowd as Milford called the varsity match. I sat naked with the towel over my head. Honestly, embarrassed at how I acted. I thought about what he said. Anytime I had a potential blowout match I thought of Milford’s words.
Thank you, Milford, you made me better.
Mike Settino 